Synthetized from the
acquisitions realized in the C.N.R.C, these images appear in the film "masques and bergamasques ", demonstrating a first animation of these databases.

1990 A remarkable system of acquisition laser was developed in the C.N.R.C of Ottawa, Canada. It allowed to acquire a digitalisation of real faces simultaneously in geometry and in brightness. Our program adapting itself easily to this data set, we were able to make quickly a first experiment of rendering Then what emotion! After all our attempts with diverse algorithmics procedures, diverse kinds of data acquisition, a face of an unexpected realism suddenly appeared on the screen. It seemed to us inevitable to investigate the new offered possibilities, even if the obtained data were very heavy and not immediately usable in a software. Not because we would want to return to a classic realism but because we thought that it should offer new possibilities of expression within the 3D. We had to investigate how to manipulate the obtained data which were little reducible to the software of animation. To try to realize the maximum of experiments in our laboratory, we purchased a system of digitalization laser: the cyberware.

After twenty years of developments of synthesis "ex nihilo", it became fascinating to measure the impact of the new instruments of the virtual: from now on, the synthesis could use a real model,and, following the example of the painting, try to copy it or to create new effects. In our opinion, the treatment of a large set of analogical data was one of the essential technical problems.The same approach will continue with the captures of movements, and could interest other events. Because we can imagine to use all the data to copy the reality as a photography, to look for techniques of modelling and deformation suited, but we can also imagine to extract from all the analogical data, whatever they are, a more compact content of "intelligent" information which we would use to generate more personalized virtual actors.

A problem which will be later better resolved is that of the eyes: the acquisition laser did not allow to open eye. Another problem was the one of the animation of such databases,for example the opening of the mouth was not obvious. While waiting for to arrive there, we realized with the C.N.R.C a series of acquisitions of expressions and word of the same face. Thanks to the professionalism of our model, because it was necessary to keep still during the long seconds of the digitalization, we gathered a rich, but also very heavy, documentation of movements of the face, including movements of skin and wrinkles, as well as some digitalizations of body.